It all depends on your expectations. The first year I was here I got transferred to DFW against my will, was paying for two houses, sitting around bored on reserve, flying naps in the E120, getting junior manned when I was 1,000 miles away from base for .98 hours of block time and made $12,200 for the year. The strange thing is - I was happy because I was flying airplanes. Those are the shoes Doo Doo Brown and FS World (short for Flight Simulator?) are apparently in. They are happy because they are "airline pilots."
Now I make 5 times that amount and hold schedules as a CA in my chosen domicile. But I get mad when the phone rings at 02:30 several times a month on my off days (plus every holiday) to junior man me. I get mad that Crew Scheduling uses a calling card and tells my children "it is one of your daddy's friends," tricking them on the phone. I get mad that our Company has an ASAP program to report pilots to the FAA (which starts certificate action) while denying pilots an ASAP program without negotiating it into the contract. I get mad that crew scheduling can run you up to 02: 00 into your off day and not compensate you and can junior man you without regard for seniority (ever day off is a day of reserve at time and a half at this airline) You think you can drink a beer on your day off - think again. They junior manned a friend of mine and assigned him a trip while he was int he middle of a lake in a Bass boat holding a beer in one hand and a pole in the other. And yes he got a trip failure / occurrence when he no show'd despite the fact he was physiologically incapable of operating the airplane.
A slave is someone who has no control of their schedule or their life. We are slaves.
Another friend of mine was driving home to be with his dying mother. He was junior manned and threatened. He turned down the assignment. His mother died. ASA fired him. That is the sort of airline this is.